OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the efficacy of exemestane and goserelin in premenopausal women with hormone receptor positive metastatic breast cancer after tamoxifen failure. II. Determine the toxicity of this regimen in these patients. III. Determine the hormonal profile of patients treated with this regimen. IV. Determine the predictive value of HER-2, epidermal growth factor receptor, and estrogen receptor for response in patients treated with this regimen.